Sixth company: “For our friends. Sixth company: "For his friends Who went to the aid of the 6th company
IN Orobyov Alexey Vladimirovich - deputy commander of the reconnaissance company of the 104th Guards Red Banner Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division, Guard Senior Lieutenant.
Born on May 14, 1975 in the village of Borovukha-1, Vitebsk Region, Byelorussian SSR, into a military family. Russian. The ancestors were hereditary Cossacks. As a child, he lived in the homeland of his parents with his grandfather and grandmother in the village of Kanadurovka, Kurmanaevsky district, Orenburg region. I went to school in Pskov, where, after studying in Moscow, my father continued to serve, who became the commander of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Airborne Division. In 1989 he graduated from school in the same Kanadurovka (since his parents were then on a business trip in Syria).
Graduated from the Ryazan Airborne School. Since 1996, he served in the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Airborne Division (Pskov): platoon commander, since 1998 - deputy commander of a reconnaissance company.
Since September 1999, as part of a regimental tactical group, he took part in the elimination of illegal armed bandit formations on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan and in the Chechen Republic. He took the first serious battle on October 27, 1999. The column advancing towards Gudermes was attacked by militants. Vorobyov with his unit made a roundabout maneuver and hit the bandits from the rear. In the battle, 18 bandits were destroyed and two were taken prisoner. Then there were the December and January battles. The officer was awarded the order Courage. When his own reconnaissance company arrived to replace them in January 2000, he decided to stay with his subordinates.
From the service and combat characteristics: “On February 15, 2000, Guard Senior Lieutenant A.V. with the reconnaissance group conducted reconnaissance of the route for the advancement of the regiment's units in order to blockade the settlement of Elistanzhi. The scouts went to the height. To the west of the height, the Elistanji River flowed with steep banks. There was only one place to cross it. The officer went on reconnaissance of the crossing himself with two of the most trained scouts, in order not to endanger the entire reconnaissance group. As a result of the reconnaissance, it was established that the river bed was mined, and on the opposite bank, the militants were carrying out work to equip positions. Thanks to the selfless actions of the Guard Senior Lieutenant A.V. it was found that this route is not passable, movement along it for the units is impossible. "
On February 29, at the head of the reconnaissance group, he ensured the exit of battalion units to the heights. At 12.40 the patrol conducted reconnaissance of the route to reach the last block of the 6th Airborne Company. When the main forces of the company were at an altitude of 776.0, the reconnaissance group had almost reached the height of Ista-Kord. At the foot of the mountain, the scouts found an advanced patrol of 20 mercenaries, threw grenades at it. But the group thereby revealed itself and was forced to urgently retreat back to the main forces of the company. Several enemy detachments were already chasing her, literally on the heels, intending to surround the scouts along the flanks. The paratroopers led by the company commander - major Molodov... But the forces in the oncoming battle were too unequal. Therefore, the paratroopers had to return to the height of 776.0 with the wounded on their shoulders. On the morning of March 1, while covering the retreat of subordinates, the Guard Senior Lieutenant Vorobyov died. In the last battle, he killed the field commander Idris.
Have by the President Russian Federation No. 484 of March 12, 2000 for courage and heroism shown during the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the North Caucasus region, to the guard senior lieutenant Vorobyov Alexey Vladimirovich posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
He was buried in the cemetery of the village of Kandaurovka, Orenburg region.
He was awarded the Order of Courage.
By order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation No. 527 of December 27, 2001, he was forever enlisted in the lists of the reconnaissance company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Airborne Division.
In the city of Pskov, on the house where the Hero lived, a memorial plaque was installed. One of the streets of the village of Kandaurovka in the Orenburg region bears his name.
The feat of the paratroopers of the 6th company of the Pskov airborne division in the Argun gorge is a special line inscribed in history.
By the decree of the President of Russia N484 of March 12, 2000, 22 Pskov paratroopers were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for courage and courage shown in the elimination of illegal armed formations in the North Caucasus region, including 21 posthumously:
guard lieutenant colonel Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich ,
guard major Sergey Georgievich Molodov ,
guard major Dostalov Alexander Vasilievich ,
guard captain Sokolov Roman Vladimirovich ,
guard captain Romanov Victor Viktorovich ,
Guard Senior Lieutenant Vorobyov Alexey Vladimirovich,
guard senior lieutenant Sherstyannikov Andrey Nikolaevich ,
guard senior lieutenant Panov Andrey Alexandrovich ,
guard senior lieutenant Dmitry Petrov ,
guard senior lieutenant Kolgatin Alexander Mikhailovich ,
guard lieutenant Ermakov Oleg Viktorovich ,
guard lieutenant Ryazantsev Alexander Nikolaevich ,
guard lieutenant Dmitry S. Kozhemyakin ,
guard senior sergeant contract service
Goodbye, the sixth company, gone for centuries, -
Winged Infantry of the Sky Regiment.
Memory ... What achievements of the past and present deserve to remain forever in human memory? Some events pass like fleeting visions; others excite the minds for a while. But there are those who remain in the minds and hearts of people for many years, making them think about the past, present and even the future ...
13 years after that battle, recalling the feat of the 6th company, on the basis of the available information, one can try to recreate those events and at least in general terms, but still understand what happened on March 1, 2000 at an altitude of 776.0.
1999/2000 year. The Second Chechen War is going on. At the beginning of the military campaign, the main hostilities unfold in Dagestan. In the course of the counter-terrorist operation in August-October 1999, the bandits were driven out of Dagestan, and in late winter and early spring 2000, the command of the federal troops carried out a successful operation to block the enemy's bandit formations. Acting bypassing the fortified bases of the militants and carrying out a systematic "cleansing" of territories - from the north from Chechnya and from the east from Dagestan, the Russian army inflicts a powerful blow on the militants, thereby taking their main forces in a "tick". "In February, the operation in Chechnya entered the mountainous phase ... The paratroopers occupied dominant heights on the probable directions of the exit of the militants driven into the mountains." Now, when it seemed that victory was near, the bandits "demonstrated their death throes."The militants decided to leave the encirclement. For a breakthrough, the scattered gangs united into a grouping, the number of which, according to various estimates, was 2.5 thousand people. Here the strike forces of the militants were assembled, among which was the elite detachment "Dzhimar". “Gangs of field commanders - Shamil Basayev, Vakhi Arasanov, Bagaudi Bakuev“ stuck to the detachments of Arab mercenaries ”. Through the Vedeno region, in which Khattab had a whole network of branched mountain bases, the enemy went to break through to Dagestan. Such a picture of events did not fit into the decisions of our headquarters, which assumed that the bandits would break through in small groups, in connection with which small checkpoints were set up on the path of the alleged movement of the enemy. One of these posts was to be occupied by the 6th Airborne Company of the 104th Regiment of the 76th Chernigov Division.
On February 28, paratroopers under the command of Guards Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Yevtyukhin and Guards Major Sergei Grigorievich Molodov advanced to a height of 776.0. Together with the 6th company, the 3rd platoon of the 4th company under the command of the guard lieutenant Oleg Ermakov and the guard major Alexander Vasilyevich Dostovalov also went to this exit. On the way to the height, near Mount Demwiresa, a reconnaissance patrol under the command of Guard Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov joined the company. Thus, the force of the paratroopers was 90 people.The fighters had to overcome a distance of more than 15 kilometers in a few hours and gain a foothold in a given square. The path of the paratroopers ran along steep and slippery paths, limp in the spring and narrow for the passage of equipment. Each paratrooper was forced to carry increased ammunition and equipment for the camp.
By 11 o'clock in the morning on February 29, ahead of the set time, the paratroopers, despite the difficult weather conditions, occupied the height of 776.0. The 3rd platoon of the 4th company, according to a previously developed plan, separated from the main forces, entrenched at a neighboring height of 787.0. The position of the paratroopers was a steep mountain overgrown with a century-old beech forest.February 29. The day was cloudy, as the participant of that battle, Hero of the Russian Guard, Senior Sergeant Alexander Suponinsky, recalled. There was fog in the mountains. Under the cover of a cloudy haze, when the main forces of the company were engaged in arranging the camp and firing points, a reconnaissance patrol came out from a height of 776.0 to the summit of Istivkort at 11:30 in the morning. At that time, bandits were already on Mount Eastvkort ...
The fight began suddenly. The militants acted from an ambush. The paratroopers responded with fire from machine guns and machine guns. The scouts were supported by artillery, the actions of which were corrected by the Guard Captain Viktor Romanov. But it soon became clear that the bandits were outnumbered, and the scouts were ordered to go back to the height. Under heavy enemy fire, reconnaissance rose to the height, the retreat was covered by a platoon of senior lieutenant Vorobyov. But at this time Major S.G. Molodov. Thus, the first dead warrior 6th company became its commander. Captain Roman Sokolov and battalion commander Mark Evtyukhin assumed command.
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The 6th company was on the cutting edge. It so happened that the enemy went for a breakthrough with all his forces right here, through the height of 776.0. According to the most conservative estimates, the enemy outnumbered the paratroopers by almost 20 times.
By 16:00 the battle was already in full swing. The enemy went into one attack after another. The positions of the company were fired upon from mortars, after which the militants from different sides tried to climb to the height. According to the guard sergeant Andrey Porshnev, who survived that battle, “at some point, they fought us like a wall. One wave will pass, we will shoot them, half an hour of respite - and another wave ... There were many of them. They just walked at us: their eyes bulging, yelling: "Allahu Akbar" ". The bandits suffered heavy losses, but the company had already been wounded and killed ...
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But, despite the support of artillery, the situation remained critical. There were many "spirits", with every hour new forces were approaching them. It came to hand-to-hand combat! Andrey Komarov, one of the paratroopers, said: “There was a close battle. We went into hand-to-hand combat. Who is with what: who is with shovels, who is with what ”. In a fierce battle, all the items at hand were used: machine guns, shovels, bayonet knives, stones, sticks ... The paratroopers fought against the intoxicated and brutalized by drugs bandits. Ahead of the militants was the best detachment of Khattab - "Dzhimar". But he could not bring down the company from a height.
Then the commanders of the militants decided to go for a trick. The paratroopers were asked to withdraw. "The militants," recalled Roman Khristolyubov, "offered to surrender ... They shouted:" Russians, surrender! " "They offered money over the radio." The company remained in place, and the bandits rushed into a new attack.
It was already deep night. The battle continued in the dark, illuminated only by grenade explosions and machine gun fire. Almost every paratrooper was injured. But, despite the wounds, no one backed down. Company commanders fought and died along with their men. Combat commander Mark Evtyukhin, senior lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov, Alexander Ryazantsev, Dmitry Vorobiev, Andrey Panov, Alexander Kolgatin, Andrey Sherstyannikov, captain Roman Sokolov, guard lieutenant Dmitry Kozhemyakin ... Kozhemyakin's platoon was at the peak of the militants' attacks. The scouts mowed down the militants with dagger fire from machine guns. But the cartridges were running out. We fought hand-to-hand ...At 1 am on March 1, at the request of the commander of the 104th regiment, three volleys from Grad rocket launchers were fired at the positions of the militants. The bandits retreated. The battle died down for a while. There were no intense attacks from 03:00 to 05:00 in the morning. Taking advantage of this, the 3rd platoon of the 4th company, located on a nearby high-rise, was able to break through to the aid of the 6th company. The platoon was commanded by Lieutenant Oleg Ermakov, with whom was the "castle" of Evtyukhin, Major Alexander Dostovalov. During the breakthrough of the guard, Lieutenant Ermakov was wounded. Realizing that the wound was fatal, the brave lieutenant remained to cover the platoon's breakthrough. Oleg Ermakov died, but the platoon was able to break through to help the wounded paratroopers. Of course, one platoon could not provide substantial support. Major Dostovalov was also wounded. But the 6th company, seeing the soldiers of the 4th company, realized that it was not abandoned! Moral support was great, and already at 5 o'clock in the morning the paratroopers were repelling a new attack.
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Yevtyukhin constantly got in touch. His actions were clear, there was no panic. But in reality there was no more strength: by morning only a few people remained alive ... A new attack began. Without shooting, with shouts of "Alla", the bandits went to the breakthrough.March 1 at 6:10 am Mark Evtyukhin in last time got in touch, his words were: “Left fifty! Goodbye, guys! The company called fire on itself ...
During this shelling, the bandits suffered heavy losses, but in the end they were still able to go to the height. The tactical victory was for the militants, the company was physically destroyed, but spiritually ... The terrorists could not advance beyond the 776.0 mark. They failed to make a breakthrough into Dagestan and repeat Budyonnovsk. Morally, the bandits were suppressed. They took out their evil and hatred on the bodies of the dead paratroopers. A day after the battle, when our troops rose to the height, the mutilated bodies of the heroes appeared in their eyes.
Only insignificant gangs managed to escape from the “ring”. Morally suppressed after the battle with the 6th company, the militants surrendered. “A few days later, near Selmentauzen, for the first time in a counter-terrorist operation, a large detachment of terrorists surrendered in full force - over 70 militants! The frostbitten, demoralized thugs saw no more prospects for resistance. " In fact, in the battle at height 776.0, the 6th company decided the fate of the entire Second Chechen war, after all, if the militants broke through to Dagestan, then all the fruits of the summer and autumn victories of 1999 in Dagestan would, by and large, be in vain. This did not happen.
But what was the price of victory? A company of soldiers was killed. Out of 90 people, only six survived: Roman Khristolyubov, Alexey Komarov, Andrey Porshnev, Evgeny Vladykin, Vadim Timoshenko and Alexander Suponinsky. The remaining 84 remained at an altitude of 776.0. In that battle, overcoming fear, the young paratroopers (many of them were only 18–20 years old) confronted the mercenary thugs. Hardly any of them realized then that they were dying for high ideals and the Motherland. The soldiers of the 6th company simply died for each other. They fought and died for their friends and comrades. Each of them accomplished the feat of self-sacrifice, following the commandment of Christ that “there is no more love than if someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Thirteen years have passed since that battle, but many questions and misunderstandings still remain. They argue about the number and losses of the militants, about why the company died. But one thing is clear: the paratroopers won a spiritual victory and performed the feat of self-sacrifice. And the memory of their feat is alive.Thus, in an interview with the NTV channel on 02/29/2000, General Troshev said: “Today we will put an end to the destruction of bandit formations. True, this does not mean that everyone is completely defeated, but it is precisely the large bandit formations that do not exist as such, there are bits left - renegades. "
Isakhanyan G.A., guard colonel, Hero of Russia. "We are peaceful people, but ..." // Step into immortality. M., 2007. S. 9–10.
Kozlov V., guard colonel. The last battle // Ibid. P. 18.
In the same place. P. 15.
Troshev G.N. My war. Chechen diary of a trench general. M., 2004.S. 324.
Kozlov V., guard colonel. The last battle. P. 12.
Together with the 6th company, Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin, the commander of the 2nd battalion of the 104th regiment, went to this combat exit, due to the difficult situation.
Alexander Vasilievich Dostovalov was the deputy commander of the 2nd battalion M.N. Evtyukhin .. Captain Romanov received an injury incompatible with life: both of his legs were torn off. Height 776.0. RTR TV channel report. March 2000; Kozlov V., guard colonel. The last battle. P. 17; Troshev G.N. My war. Chechen diary of a trench general. P. 329.
Troshev G.N. My war. Chechen diary of a trench general. P. 331.
Kozlov V., guard colonel. The last battle. S. 44, 64.
So, the paratroopers of the 3rd platoon of the 4th company, together with Lieutenant Oleg Ermakov and Major Dostovalov, could not enter the battle. They stood at a nearby height and did not have to leave it. But, faithful to the principles of the airborne brotherhood, they went to the aid of their fellow soldiers - they went in order to die with them, since it was clear that, fighting against an enemy many times superior in number, they would still not win the battle.
Wahhabi propaganda speaks of 12 dead mujahideen on their part. Various domestic publications estimate the number of killed militants at 300 or 400 people. It is clear that the data provided by the terrorists are greatly underestimated, but even with 300 and 400, not everything is clear. Most likely, no one will ever be able to give an accurate assessment. It is clear that many bandits were killed. So, Hero of Russia Alexander Suponinsky, one of the surviving paratroopers, says the following about this: “I don't know where they got this number - 600 dead militants. Not from us. I didn't count them over their heads. We must pay tribute to them: they took all their killed with them ... But there was so much horror of Chechen blood on the ground! Our artillery, of course, mixed them a lot. " Cm: Ampelovsky V. Fight after death. Interview with participants in the battle at an altitude of 776.0.
Nowadays, films are being made about the paratroopers of the 6th company ("I Have the Honor", "Thunderstorm Gates", "Breakthrough", "Russian Victim"), songs are written, monuments are erected to them. Streets and schools are named after the soldiers and officers of the company. The feat of the paratroopers played an important role in the patriotic education of young people. In memory of the 6th company, sports tournaments and youth games are held. So, at the temple of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God in South Butovo there is a military-patriotic club. It is called the Sixth Company. The motto of the club is the words: "For your friends."
This article is for informational purposes, and makes it possible to get acquainted with two points of view (the Chechen and Russian sides) on the battle of the paratroopers of the 6th company of the 104th regiment of the 76th Airborne Forces and Chechen militants under the command of and.
The version of the battle near Ulus-Kert from the Chechen side:
In late February and early March, another anniversary of the famous battle near Ulus-Kert, during which the Mujahideen destroyed the Russian invaders of the paratroopers from Pskov.
Despite the fact that the Kremlin's propaganda about this battle has been repeatedly refuted by the Chechen side, Moscow is still trying to push lies into the public consciousness of the layman and impose its own interpretation of the unprecedented battle in which the Mujahideen, exhausted by a 2-week winter transition, utterly defeated an elite unit of Russian troops ...
10 years ago, on February 29, 2000, a fierce battle took place near Ulus-Kert between a select detachment of the invaders and a unit of Chechen Mujahideen. 70 volunteer fighters stormed the height at which the company of the very Pskov paratroopers was located, who, as Russian propaganda says lies, allegedly "held back the onslaught of 2 thousand militants."
1,300 Mujahideen marched from Shatoi towards Dargo-Vedeno. Exhausted by the long march, frozen, wounded, sick, the Mujahideen went to the gorge of the Vashtar (Abazulgol) river. Reconnaissance reported that a detachment of invaders with mortars at their disposal was located at a height between Ulus-Kert and Duba-Yurt.
Eyewitnesses and participants in that battle say that after a short meeting, the wounded Shamil Basayev (he was carried on a stretcher with his leg torn off) ordered Khattab to select the assault group and attack the paratroopers. Khattab initially refused, saying that the convoy (albeit under fire) would be able to pass the paratroopers without engaging in fire contact. However, Shamil pointed out that in the event of a passage under enemy fire, the losses would be immeasurably greater, and that the rearguard of the column would be under the threat of mortar fire.
Then Shamil Basayev turned to Khattab and said - "If you do not fulfill my order now, then on the Day of Judgment I will testify before Allah that you did not fulfill the order of your emir." Hearing these words, Khattab immediately apologized and proceeded to form an assault group, which he himself led. As Khattab himself later said, he was frightened by those words of Shamil and the fact that on the Day of Judgment he would have nothing to justify himself before the Almighty.
Khattab selected a group of mujahideen of 70 volunteer fighters. Before the battle, Shamil addressed the Mujahideen with a speech. Then the assault began.
As the participants in the battle say, they climbed to the high-rise under the hurricane fire of the enemy at an incredibly slow speed. There was practically no strength to move up. The Mujahideen helped themselves to move their legs with their hands. There was no question of aiming at the paratroopers. When the advance group climbed to the height, an impressive and at the same time strange picture appeared before them.
About 100 corpses were dumped in one heap, as if someone had deliberately dragged them into one place. Horror froze on the faces of all the paratroopers. The faces were ashy gray. Almost all of them had bullet wounds to the head and chest, almost under the throat.
The Mujahideen lost 25 fighters (according to other sources, 21). Almost all those killed near Ulus-Kert were buried in the settlements of the Vedeno region: Tevzana, Makhkety, Khattuni.
As Khattab and the fighters of the assault group later stated, all the participants in that battle had a clear feeling that the cause of the death of the paratroopers was not so much their shooting as the action of another force - Allah and his Angels.
Khattab, who loved to tell episodes of various battles, almost never spoke about the battle near Ulus-Kert. Little about this fight
other participants also told. When the Mujahideen tried to ask Khattab about that battle, he usually answered shortly - "It was not our job ...".
Meanwhile, Russian propaganda, trying to distort real events of that battle, continues to tell tales "about hordes of militants and a handful of Russian heroes." Articles and books are written, films and performances are made, generals and politicians appear on TV. At the same time, every year Russian state propaganda calls different figures for the losses of the Mujahideen, then 500, then 1500, then 700 (this latest version). The Moscow propagandists prefer not to answer a simple question - "where is the mass grave of militants?"
By the way, in those days in the Ulus-Kert region, the Mujahideen destroyed up to 200 special forces Russian army... However, only the losses among the Pskov paratroopers were made public, which it was impossible to keep silent about, since they were all from one part and one city, and all the inhabitants of Pskov were aware of these losses.
About a week after the battle near Ulus-Kert, in the village of Duts-Khoti of the Selmentauzen rural administration, the Russian occupants, with the help of local apostates, were betrayed and then basely shot 42 wounded and unarmed Mujahideen, who, by the decision of the command of the Mujahideen, were temporarily left in one from buildings on the outskirts of the village.
Subsequently, the traitors were found and destroyed.
The version of the battle near Ulus-Kert from the Russian side:
On the afternoon of February 29, 2000, the federal command hastened to interpret the capture of Shatoi as a signal that the "Chechen resistance" was finally broken. Vladimir Putin was reported "on the fulfillment of the tasks of the third stage" of the operation in the North Caucasus, and and. O. OGV commander Gennady Troshev noted that for another two to three weeks, operations will be carried out to destroy the "escaped bandits", but the full-scale military operation has been completed.
Colonel of the reserve Vladimir Vorobyov, a former paratrooper who passed through Afghanistan (at one time he commanded the 104th "Cherekhinsky" regiment), will help us in the investigation. Father of Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov, who died near Ulus-Kert. For two years after the tragedy, he compiled a complete picture of what happened, which is somewhat at odds with the official version.
Gangs of Chechen warlords found themselves in a strategic bag. This happened after the landing of a tactical assault force, which, as if with a sharp knife, cut the mountain road Itum-Kale-Shatili, built by the slaves of “free Ichkeria”. Operational group "Center" began to methodically shoot down the enemy, forcing him to retreat down the Argun gorge: from the Russian-Georgian border to the north.
Intelligence reported: Khattab moved northeast, to the Vedeno region, where he created an extensive network of mountain bases, warehouses and shelters. He intended to capture Vedeno, the villages of Mehkety, Elistanzhi and Kirov-Yurt and secure a foothold for a breakthrough into Dagestan. In the neighboring republic, the "mujahideen" planned to take hostage a large number of civilians and thereby force the federal authorities to negotiate.
Restoring the chronicle of those days, you need to clearly understand: talk about "reliably blocked gangs" is a bluff, an attempt to pass off wishful thinking. The strategically important Argun Gorge is over 30 kilometers long. Units not trained in mountain warfare were unable to establish control over an extensive and perfect mountain system unfamiliar to them. Even on old map more than two dozen trails can be counted in this area. And how many are not marked on any maps at all? To block each such path, you need to use a company. It turns out an impressive figure. With the forces that were at hand, the federal command could not only destroy, but reliably block the gangs going to break through only on paper.
On the most dangerous, as it turned out later, direction, the command of the UGV deployed fighters of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division. Meanwhile, Khattab chose a simple but effective tactic: after conducting reconnaissance of the battles, he intended to find the weakest points, and then, having piled up with the whole mass, to break out of the gorge.
On February 28, the "mujahideen" went ahead. The paratroopers of the 3rd company, led by senior lieutenant Vasiliev, were the first to take the blow. They occupied the dominant heights five kilometers east of Ulus-Kert. Khattab's detachments tried unsuccessfully to break through a well-organized system of fire and retreated, suffering significant losses.
Units of the 2nd battalion kept the commanding heights over the Sharoargun gorge under control. There remained a passage between the channels of the Sharoargun and Abazulgol rivers. To exclude the possibility of militants "infiltrating" here, the commander of the 104th regiment ordered the commander of the 6th company, Major Sergei Molodov, to occupy another dominant height 4-5 kilometers from Ulus-Kert. And since the company commander was literally transferred to the unit the day before and did not have time to thoroughly understand the operational situation, get acquainted with the personnel, he was backed up by the commander of the 2nd battalion, Mark Yevtyukhin.
The paratroopers set off even after dark. They had to make a fifteen-kilometer march in a given square in a few hours, where they set up a new base camp. We walked with full combat gear. They were armed only with small arms and grenade launchers. The attachment for the radio station providing hidden radio exchange was left at the base. They dragged themselves on water, food, tents and stoves, without which it was simply impossible to survive in the mountains in winter. According to the calculations of Vladimir Vorobyov, the unit stretched for 5-6 kilometers, no more than a kilometer passed per hour. We also note that the paratroopers went to the height immediately after a difficult throw along the Dombai-Arzy route, that is, without proper rest.
Helicopter landing was ruled out, since the conducted aerial reconnaissance did not find a single suitable site in the mountain forest.
The paratroopers went to the limit of their physical strength - this is a fact that no one can dispute. From the analysis of the situation, the following conclusion suggests itself: the command was late with the decision to transfer the 6th company to Ista-Kord, and that, realizing himself, set deliberately impossible deadlines.
Even before sunrise, the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment, reinforced by a platoon and two reconnaissance groups, was at the target - the interfluve of the Argun tributaries south of Ulus-Kert. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin, supervised the actions of the paratroopers.
As it later became known, 90 paratroopers, on an isthmus of 200 meters, blocked the path of the two thousand-strong group of Khattab. As far as can be judged, the bandits were the first to discover the enemy. This is evidenced by radio interceptions.
At that moment, the "mujahideen" were moving in two detachments along the Sharoargun and Abazulgol rivers. The height of 776.0, at which our paratroopers took a breath after the hardest march, they decided to bypass from both sides.
In front of both gangs were two reconnaissance groups, 30 people each, followed by two detachments of combat security, 50 militants each. One of the head patrols was discovered by Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov with his scouts, which saved the 6th company from a surprise attack.
It was noon. The scouts found the militants at the foot of the height 776.0. The opponents were separated by tens of meters. In a matter of seconds, the vanguard of the bandits was destroyed with the help of grenades. But dozens of "mujahideen" rushed after him.
The scouts with the wounded on their shoulders retreated to the main forces, and the company on the move had to accept the oncoming battle. While the scouts could hold back the onslaught of the bandits, the battalion commander decided to gain a foothold at this forested height of 776.0 and not give the bandits the opportunity to leave the blocked gorge.
Before the start of the assault, the Khattab field commanders Idris and Abu Walid went to the battalion commander on the radio and suggested that Yevtukhin let the "mujahideen" pass:
- There are ten times more of us here. Think, commander, is it worth risking people? Night, fog - no one will notice ...
What the battalion commander answered is not difficult to imagine. After these "negotiations" the bandits brought down a storm of fire from mortars and grenade launchers on the positions of the paratroopers. By midnight, the battle was at its highest. The guardsmen did not flinch, although the enemy outnumbered them by more than 20 times. The bandits advanced towards the grenade-throwing positions. In some areas, the paratroopers met in hand-to-hand combat. One of the first in the 6th company was killed its commander Sergei Molodov - a sniper's bullet hit him in the neck.
The command could only support the company with artillery fire. The fire of the regimental gunners was corrected by the commander of the self-propelled battery, Captain Viktor Romanov. According to General Troshev, from noon on February 29 to early morning on March 1, regimental gunners poured 1,200 shells into the Ista-Korda region.
They did not use aviation, fearing to be hit by their own people. The bandits covered their flanks with water streams, which were on the right and left, which made it impossible to freely maneuver and provide effective assistance. The enemy set up ambushes and took up defensive positions on the shore, preventing them from approaching the tributaries of the Argun. Several attempts at the crossing ended in failure. The 1st company of paratroopers, thrown to the rescue of perishing comrades, was able to break through to a height of 776.0 only on the morning of March 2.
From three to five in the morning on March 1, there was a "respite" - there were no attacks, but mortars and snipers did not stop firing. Combat commander Mark Evtyukhin reported the situation to the regiment commander, Colonel Sergei Melentyev. He ordered to hold on, wait for help.
After a few hours of battle, it became obvious that the 6th company simply did not have enough ammunition to hold back the continuous attacks of the militants. The battalion commander asked for help from his deputy major, Alexander Dostovalov, who was one and a half kilometers from the dying company, for help. There were fifteen fighters with him.
We like to say different things on any occasion. beautiful phrases without thinking too much about their meaning. I also liked the expression “heavy fire”. So that's it. Despite the heavy, without quotation marks, enemy fire, Alexander Dostovalov and a platoon of paratroopers somehow miraculously managed to get through to their comrades, who for the second hour held back the frenzied onslaught of Khattab's bandits. For the 6th company, it was a powerful emotional charge. The guys believed that they had not been abandoned, that they were remembered, that they would come to their aid.
... The platoon lasted for two hours of battle. At 5 o'clock, Khattab threw two battalions of suicide bombers - "white angels" into the attack. They completely surrounded the height, cutting off part of the last platoon, which did not manage to rise to the height: she was shot practically in the back. The company itself was already collecting ammunition from the dead and wounded.
The forces were unequal. Soldiers and officers were killed one after another. Alexei Vorobyov's legs were broken by shrapnel of mines, one bullet hit the stomach, another pierced his chest. But the officer did not leave the battle. It was he who destroyed Idris - a friend of Khattab, the "chief of intelligence".
On the night of March 1, at an altitude of 705.6, hand-to-hand combat took place, which took on a focal character. The snow at the height was mixed with blood. The paratroopers fought off the last attack with several machine guns. The battalion commander Mark Evtukhin realized that the life of the company went on for minutes. A little more, and the bandits on the corpses of the paratroopers will break out of the gorge. And then he turned to Captain Viktor Romanov. The one, bleeding, with the stubs of his legs tied with cords, was lying next to him - on the company command post.
- Come on, we call fire on ourselves!
Already losing consciousness, Romanov transmitted the coordinates to the battery. At 6 hours 10 minutes, communication with Lieutenant Colonel Yevtukhin was cut off. The battalion commander fired back to the last bullet and was struck by a sniper's bullet in the head.
On the morning of March 2, the 1st company entered Ista-Kord. When the paratroopers drove the militants from a height of 705.6, a terrible picture opened up in front of them: perennial beeches, "trimmed" by shells and mines, and everywhere - corpses, corpses of "mujahideen". Four hundred people. In the company strongpoint - bodies 13 Russian officers and 73 sergeants and privates.
Following the "bloody trail" Udugov posted eight photographs of the killed paratroopers on the Kavkaz Center website. The photographs do not show that many of the bodies were hacked to pieces. "Fighters for the Faith" dealt with any paratroopers in whom life still glimmered. This was told by those who miraculously managed to survive.
Senior sergeant Alexander Suponinsky, by order of the commander, jumped into a deep ravine. Private Andrey Porshnev jumped next. About 50 militants fired at them for half an hour from machine guns. After waiting, the wounded paratroopers, first crawling, and then at full height, began to leave. The guys miraculously survived.
- There were five of us, the last, - Andrey Porshnev later recalled, - battalion commander Evtyukhin, deputy commander Dostavalov and senior lieutenant Kozhemyakin. Officers. Well, and we are with Sasha. Evtyukhin and Dostalov died, while Kozhemyakin's both legs were broken, and he threw cartridges at us with his hands. The militants came close to us, there were three meters left, and Kozhemyakin ordered us: leave, jump down ...
For that fight, Alexander Suponinsky received the Hero of Russia star.
On the table commander of the airborne forces Colonel-General Gennady Shpak laid down a list of the dead paratroopers. All the circumstances of this cruel battle were reported in the smallest detail. Shpak made a report to the Minister of Defense, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, but in response received an instruction: to prohibit information about the events near Ulus-Kert until a separate instruction for disclosure.
It just so happened that it was on February 29 that Marshal Sergeev reported to Vladimir Putin about the successful completion of the tasks of the "third stage". Only a few hours passed and - a powerful group of militants hit the positions of the federal troops. What happened near Ulus-Kert did not in any way correlate with the victorious reports about the imminent and final defeat of the militants. And Comrade Marshal must have felt embarrassed for his last report. In order to somehow smooth out the embarrassment, the military was ordered to keep quiet. Only Gennady Troshev on March 5 dared to tell part of the truth: "The sixth paratrooper company, which was at the forefront of the bandits' attack, lost 31 people killed, there are wounded."
On the same days, the country was experiencing another tragedy, which was reported by all the country's television channels - 17 died in Chechnya. The military command was afraid to announce the riot police and paratroopers at the same time. The losses were too great ...
On August 2, 2000, Russia celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Airborne Forces. On this day, Vladimir Putin arrived at the 76th Airborne Division, stationed in Pskov, to pay tribute to the heroic paratroopers of the 6th company, which died in the Argun Gorge in Chechnya.
Having met the soldiers and the families of the victims, the president, for the first time in ten years, of an unscrupulous and stupid Russian politics in the North Caucasus, he publicly brought repentance to the people, openly admitting the Kremlin's guilt "for gross miscalculations that have to be paid for with the lives of Russian soldiers."
Ulus-Kert has become one of the symbols of the modern Russian history... For how many years they tried to exterminate the Russian military spirit from us, it did not work. How many years the army was portrayed as a bunch of drunks, degenerates and sadists - and the guys paratroopers, dead and alive, silenced critics.
RETURNED ONLY FROM THE EVENING OF MEMORY 6 ROTY 104 REGULATION OF THE PSKOV DIVISION OF THE VDV
FOR THOSE WHO FORGOT REMEMBER 1st MARCH 2000 ROTA IN NUMBER 90 PEOPLE STARTED ON THE WAY 3200 SPIRITS WHICH WENT TO DAGESTAN AND WHICH SEPARATE MONSTERS WITH LARGE RUNNINGS GIVEN A CORRIDOR FOR BABKAS, AND THE GUYS DIDN'T GIVE, KILLED 84 PARCELANTS AND DESTROYED ABOUT 1200 SPIRITS. THE FIGHT LASTED 19 HOURS, DURING THIS TIME ONE WALKING FROM MOSCOW, BUT THEY WERE JUST LEFT ONE AND THEN TRYING TO HIDE THE LOSSES AND CORPSES THE KINDS WERE NOT GIVEN HIDDEN IN GENERAL AS WE LOVE
ON A MEMORABLE EVENING NONE OF MY SERVANTS AND MOTHER WAS NOT A SINGLE PERSON OF MY SERVANTS AND MOTHER I AM OUTRAGED, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A SPONSOR TO RENT A ROOM IN A BEDROOM HOTEL AND THE HOMELAND AND THE GENERALS SHOULD NOT GIVE ROSE TO THE FIGURE.
HEAVY ON THE SOUL,
GLORY VDV, NOBODY BUT US
SERGEY BADYUK
SIXTH MOUTH
Soldiers of the 2nd reconnaissance platoon 175 ORR 76 VDD before leaving for Chechnya
This happened on the night of February 29 to March 1, 2000. The soldiers of the 6th company of the 104th paratrooper regiment of the 76th Guards Pskov airborne division of the Airborne Forces advanced to the heights near Ulus-Kert. They blocked the way for Chechen fighters who decided to break out of the Argun Gorge. According to the command, there were more than two thousand of them. Paratroopers - 90 people.
Fire from mortars and small arms fell on their positions. At the forefront of the attack was a platoon of scouts under the command of Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov. 15 people came to the rescue - a reserve regiment headed by the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin. Mark Nikolaevich, despite being wounded, skillfully led the battle. Through the encirclement ring, the deputy commander of the 2nd paratrooper battalion, Alexander Dostalov, broke through to him with a group of fighters, realizing that it would be his the last battle.
“One wave will pass, we will shoot them, half an hour of respite - and another wave,” says Alexander Suponinsky, a soldier of the 6th company. “They're coming at us - their eyes are bulging, they are shouting“ Allah akbar ”... Then, when they retreated after hand-to-hand combat, they offered us money on the radio so that we would let them through” ... Having received a refusal, the enemies went on the attack again. Senior Lieutenant Vorobiev killed the field commander Idris. His gang was completely destroyed. The fighters also defeated Abu Walid's gang. But the ranks of the defenders were thinning. And then the battalion commander called fire on himself. The gunners in a continuous fog inflicted an accurate fire strike, destroying up to 200 militants with shells. “On March 1, at 6.10 am, communication with the commander of the 2nd paratrooper battalion M.N. Yevtyukhin. broke off, "- dryly states the document of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
The paratroopers did not retreat at other heights either. When they ran out of ammunition, they went into hand-to-hand combat and blew themselves up with grenades in a heap of militants. The commander of the self-propelled artillery battery Viktor Romanov, having lost both legs as a result of a mine explosion, continued to adjust the artillery fire. Our fighters fought to the last. Only six paratroopers survived, but the bandits did not pass.
Soldiers of the 2nd reconnaissance platoon 175 ORR 76 VDD before leaving for Chechnya
HEIGHT 776.0
Live:
They came out of that battle alive to tell us how their comrades fought.
SUPONINSKY Alexander Anatolievich
Hero of the Russian Federation
PORSHNEV Andrey Borisovich
Commander of the Order of Courage
KOMAROV Alexey Andreevich
Commander of the Order of Courage
VLADYKIN Evgeny Alexandrovich
Commander of the Order of Courage
TIMOSHENKO Vadim Nikolaevich
Commander of the Order of Courage
Khristolyubov Roman Anatolievich
Commander of the Order of Courage
THE LOST:
In the 6th company of the Pskov Airborne Division, guys from different cities of Russia served, they were of different nationalities and religions.
Those who died together, for the Motherland, in the war, they rest in peace ...
6th company of the Pskov Airborne Division
Evtyukhin Mark Nikolaevich
Dostalov Alexander Vasilievich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Sergey Vasilev
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Vorobyov Alexey Vladimirovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Gerdt Alexander Alexandrovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Dmitry Grigoriev
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Dukhin Vladislav Anatolievich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Ermakov Oleg Viktorovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Dmitry S. Kozhemyakin
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Kolgatin Alexander Mikhailovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Komyagin Alexander Valerievich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Medvedev Sergei Yurievich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Lebedev Alexander Vladislavovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Sergey Georgievich Molodov
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Panov Andrey Alexandrovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Dmitry Petrov
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Alexey Vasilievich's story
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Romanov Victor Viktorovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Ryazantsev Alexander Nikolaevich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Sokolov Roman Vladimirovich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Sherstyannikov Andrey Nikolaevich
Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously)
Zinkevich Denis Nikolaevich
Pakhomov Roman Alexandrovich
Biryukov Vladimir Ivanovich
Popov Igor Mikhailovich
Kuptsov Vladimir Ivanovich
Sokovanov Vasily Nikolaevich
Kobzev Alexander Dmitrievich
Trubenok Alexander Leonidovich
Alexey Nishchenko
Ivan Pavlov
Denis A. Tregubov
Alexander Koroteev
Strebin Denis Sergeevich
Khvorostukhin Igor Sergeevich
Mikhail Evdokimov
Dmitry Shchemlev
Zaitsev Andrey Yurievich
Izyumov Vladimir Nikolaevich
Travin Mikhail Vitalievich
Lyashkov Yury Nikolaevich
Kuatbaev Galim Mukhambetgalievich
Afanasiev Roman Sergeevich
Lebedev Victor Nikolaevich
Savin Valentin Ivanovich
Denis Timashov
Chugunov Vadim Vladimirovich
Krivushev Konstantin Valerievich
Ivanov Dmitry Ivanovich
Erdyakov Roman Sergeevich
Alexey Shukaev
Denis Igorevich Belykh
Bakulin Sergey Mikhailovich
Islent'ev Vladimir Anatolievich
Zhukov Sergey Valerievich
Shikov Sergey Alexandrovich
Ambetov Nikolay Kamitovich
Alexey Nekrasov
Arkhipov Vladimir Vladimirovich
Khrabrov Alexey Alexandrovich
Mikhailov Sergey Anatolievich
Vorobyov Alexey Nikolaevich
Piskunov Roman Sergeevich
Siraev Rustam Flaridovich
Denis Shevchenko
Timoshinin Konstantin Viktorovich
Shalaev Nikolay Vladimirovich
Alexandrov Vladimir Andreevich
Roman Sudakov
Dmitry Badretdinov
Kenzhiev Amangeldy Amantayevich
Grudinsky Stanislav Igorevich
Ivanov Yaroslav Sergeevich
Andrey Aranson
Ivanov Sergey Alekseevich
Eliseev Vladimir Sergeevich
Isakov Evgeny Valerievich
Isaev Alexander Dmitrievich
Alexey Vasiliev
Khamatov Evgeny Kamilevich
Kozlov Sergey Olegovich
Zagoraev Mikhail Vyacheslavovich
Shvetsov Vladimir Alexandrovich
“The aim of the militants was the capture of Vedeno, proclaiming it the capital of an independent Sharia state. In the future, the Chechens planned to pass through an open space in the mountains towards Dagestan and unleash a war there. The second battalion stood in the way of a powerful group of militants, which took on the main onslaught of well-armed and trained thugs. The guys will forever remain in the memory of all the paratroopers, as soldiers loyal and devoted to military duty. The paratroopers fought to the last, showed courage and heroism and stopped the militants at the cost of their lives. It's hard to even imagine what the militants could have done by breaking into the rear of our operational group - then they would have gone like a knife in butter. "
Even the enemies were forced to admit the steadfastness and courage of our soldiers. We quote the site of the separatists on September 28, 2004: “Neither Shamil, nor Amir Khattab ever concealed that the paratroopers then put up fierce resistance. The valor of warriors does not depend on the number of enemy soldiers. "
6 MOUTH. Battle of Ulus-Kert
02.10.2006
On the afternoon of February 29, 2000, the federal command hastened to interpret the capture of Shatoi as a signal that the "Chechen resistance" was finally broken.
President Putin was reported "on the fulfillment of the tasks of the third stage" of the operation in the North Caucasus, and and. O. OGV commander Gennady Troshev noted that for another two to three weeks, operations will be carried out to destroy the "escaped bandits", but the full-scale military operation has been completed.
Colonel of the reserve Vladimir Vorobyov, a former paratrooper who passed through Afghanistan (at one time he commanded the 104th "Cherekhinsky" regiment), will help us in the investigation. Father of Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov, who died near Ulus-Kert. For two years after the tragedy, he compiled a complete picture of what happened, which is somewhat at odds with the official version.
Gangs of Chechen warlords found themselves in a strategic bag. This happened after the landing of a tactical assault force, which, as if with a sharp knife, cut the mountain road Itum-Kale-Shatili, built by the slaves of “free Ichkeria”. Operational group "Center" began to methodically shoot down the enemy, forcing him to retreat down the Argun gorge: from the Russian-Georgian border to the north.
Intelligence reported: Khattab moved northeast, to the Vedeno region, where he created an extensive network of mountain bases, warehouses and shelters. He intended to capture Vedeno, the villages of Mehkety, Elistanzhi and Kirov-Yurt and secure a foothold for a breakthrough into Dagestan. In the neighboring republic, the "mujahideen" planned to take hostage a large number of civilians and thereby force the federal authorities to negotiate.
Restoring the chronicle of those days, you need to clearly understand: talk about "reliably blocked gangs" is a bluff, an attempt to pass off wishful thinking. The strategically important Argun Gorge is over 30 kilometers long. Units not trained in mountain warfare were unable to establish control over an extensive and perfect mountain system unfamiliar to them. Even on the old map, you can count more than two dozen trails in this area. And how many are not marked on any maps at all? To block each such path, you need to use a company. It turns out an impressive figure. With the forces that were at hand, the federal command could not only destroy, but reliably block the gangs going to break through only on paper.
On the most dangerous, as it turned out later, direction, the command of the UGV deployed fighters of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 76th Pskov Airborne Division. Meanwhile, Khattab chose a simple but effective tactic: after conducting reconnaissance of the battles, he intended to find the weakest points, and then, having piled up with the whole mass, to break out of the gorge.
On February 28, the "mujahideen" went ahead. The paratroopers of the 3rd company, led by senior lieutenant Vasiliev, were the first to take the blow. They occupied the dominant heights five kilometers east of Ulus-Kert. Khattab's detachments tried unsuccessfully to break through a well-organized system of fire and retreated, suffering significant losses.
Units of the 2nd battalion kept the commanding heights over the Sharoargun gorge under control. There remained a passage between the channels of the Sharoargun and Abazulgol rivers. To exclude the possibility of militants "infiltrating" here, the commander of the 104th regiment ordered the commander of the 6th company, Major Sergei Molodov, to occupy another dominant height 4-5 kilometers from Ulus-Kert. And since the company commander was literally transferred to the unit the day before and did not have time to thoroughly understand the operational situation, get acquainted with the personnel, he was backed up by the commander of the 2nd battalion, Mark Yevtyukhin.
The paratroopers set off even after dark. They had to make a fifteen-kilometer march in a given square in a few hours, where they set up a new base camp. We walked with full combat gear. They were armed only with small arms and grenade launchers. The attachment for the radio station providing hidden radio exchange was left at the base. They dragged themselves on water, food, tents and stoves, without which it was simply impossible to survive in the mountains in winter. According to the calculations of Vladimir Vorobyov, the unit stretched for 5-6 kilometers, no more than a kilometer passed per hour. We also note that the paratroopers went to the height immediately after a difficult throw along the Dombai-Arzy route, that is, without proper rest.
Helicopter landing was ruled out, since the conducted aerial reconnaissance did not find a single suitable site in the mountain forest.
The paratroopers went to the limit of their physical strength - this is a fact that no one can dispute. From the analysis of the situation, the following conclusion suggests itself: the command was late with the decision to transfer the 6th company to Ista-Kord, and that, realizing himself, set deliberately impossible deadlines.
Even before sunrise, the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment, reinforced by a platoon and two reconnaissance groups, was at the target - the interfluve of the Argun tributaries south of Ulus-Kert. The battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtukhin, supervised the actions of the paratroopers.
As it later became known, 90 paratroopers, on an isthmus of 200 meters, blocked the path of the two thousand-strong group of Khattab. As far as can be judged, the bandits were the first to discover the enemy. This is evidenced by radio interceptions.
At that moment, the "mujahideen" were moving in two detachments along the Sharoargun and Abazulgol rivers. The height of 776.0, at which our paratroopers took a breath after the hardest march, they decided to bypass from both sides.
In front of both gangs were two reconnaissance groups, 30 people each, followed by two detachments of combat security, 50 militants each. One of the head patrols was discovered by Senior Lieutenant Alexei Vorobyov with his scouts, which saved the 6th company from a surprise attack.
It was noon. The scouts found the militants at the foot of the height 776.0. The opponents were separated by tens of meters. In a matter of seconds, the vanguard of the bandits was destroyed with the help of grenades. But dozens of "mujahideen" rushed after him.
The scouts with the wounded on their shoulders retreated to the main forces, and the company on the move had to accept the oncoming battle. While the scouts could hold back the onslaught of the bandits, the battalion commander decided to gain a foothold at this forested height of 776.0 and not give the bandits the opportunity to leave the blocked gorge.
Before the start of the assault, the Khattab field commanders Idris and Abu Walid went to the battalion commander on the radio and suggested that Yevtukhin let the "mujahideen" pass:
There are ten times more of us here. Think, commander, is it worth risking people? Night, fog - no one will notice ...
What the battalion commander answered is not difficult to imagine. After these "negotiations" the bandits brought down a storm of fire from mortars and grenade launchers on the positions of the paratroopers. By midnight, the battle was at its highest. The guardsmen did not flinch, although the enemy outnumbered them by more than 20 times. The bandits advanced towards the grenade-throwing positions. In some areas, the paratroopers met in hand-to-hand combat. One of the first in the 6th company was killed its commander Sergei Molodov - a sniper's bullet hit him in the neck.
Combat scheme.
The command could only support the company with artillery fire. The fire of the regimental gunners was corrected by the commander of the self-propelled battery, Captain Viktor Romanov. According to General Troshev, from noon on February 29 to early morning on March 1, regimental gunners poured 1,200 shells into the Ista-Korda region.
They did not use aviation, fearing to be hit by their own people. The bandits covered their flanks with water streams, which were on the right and left, which made it impossible to freely maneuver and provide effective assistance. The enemy set up ambushes and took up defensive positions on the shore, preventing them from approaching the tributaries of the Argun. Several attempts at the crossing ended in failure. The 1st company of paratroopers, thrown to the rescue of perishing comrades, was able to break through to a height of 776.0 only on the morning of March 2.
From three to five in the morning on March 1, there was a "respite" - there were no attacks, but mortars and snipers did not stop firing. Combat commander Mark Evtyukhin reported the situation to the regiment commander, Colonel Sergei Melentyev. He ordered to hold on, wait for help.
After a few hours of battle, it became obvious that the 6th company simply did not have enough ammunition to hold back the continuous attacks of the militants. The battalion commander asked for help from his deputy major, Alexander Dostovalov, who was one and a half kilometers from the dying company, for help. There were fifteen fighters with him.
We like to say different beautiful phrases on any occasion, without really thinking about their meaning. I also liked the expression “heavy fire”. So that's it. Despite the heavy, without quotation marks, enemy fire, Alexander Dostovalov and a platoon of paratroopers somehow miraculously managed to get through to their comrades, who for the second hour held back the frenzied onslaught of Khattab's bandits. For the 6th company, it was a powerful emotional charge. The guys believed that they had not been abandoned, that they were remembered, that they would come to their aid.
... The platoon lasted for two hours of battle. At 5 o'clock, Khattab launched two battalions of suicide bombers - "white angels" into the attack. They completely surrounded the height, cutting off part of the last platoon, which did not manage to rise to the height: she was shot practically in the back. The company itself was already collecting ammunition from the dead and wounded.
The forces were unequal. Soldiers and officers were killed one after another. Alexei Vorobyov's legs were broken by shrapnel of mines, one bullet hit the stomach, another pierced his chest. But the officer did not leave the battle. It was he who destroyed Idris - a friend of Khattab, the "chief of intelligence".
On the night of March 1, at an altitude of 705.6, hand-to-hand combat took place, which took on a focal character. The snow at the height was mixed with blood. The paratroopers fought off the last attack with several machine guns. The battalion commander Mark Evtukhin realized that the life of the company went on for minutes. A little more, and the bandits on the corpses of the paratroopers will break out of the gorge. And then he turned to Captain Viktor Romanov. The one, bleeding, with the stubs of his legs tied with cords, was lying next to him - on the company command post.
Come on, we call the fire on ourselves!
Already losing consciousness, Romanov transmitted the coordinates to the battery. At 6 hours 10 minutes, communication with Lieutenant Colonel Yevtukhin was cut off. The battalion commander fired back to the last bullet and was struck by a sniper's bullet in the head.
On the morning of March 2, the 1st company entered Ista-Kord. When the paratroopers drove the militants from a height of 705.6, a terrible picture opened up in front of them: perennial beeches, "trimmed" by shells and mines, and everywhere - corpses, corpses of "mujahideen". Four hundred people. In the company strongpoint - the bodies of 13 Russian officers and 73 sergeants and privates.
Following the "bloody trail" Udugov posted eight photographs of the killed paratroopers on the Kavkaz Center website. The photographs do not show that many of the bodies were hacked to pieces. "Fighters for the Faith" dealt with any paratroopers in whom life still glimmered. This was told by those who miraculously managed to survive.
Senior sergeant Alexander Suponinsky, by order of the commander, jumped into a deep ravine. Private Andrey Porshnev jumped next. About 50 militants fired at them for half an hour from machine guns. After waiting, the wounded paratroopers, first crawling, and then at full height, began to leave. The guys miraculously survived.
There were five of us, the last ones, - Andrei Porshnev later recalled, - battalion commander Evtyukhin, deputy commander Dostavalov and senior lieutenant Kozhemyakin. Officers. Well, and we are with Sasha. Evtyukhin and Dostalov died, while Kozhemyakin's both legs were broken, and he threw cartridges at us with his hands. The militants came close to us, there were three meters left, and Kozhemyakin ordered us: leave, jump down ...
For that fight, Alexander Suponinsky received the Hero of Russia star.
On the table of the commander of the Airborne Forces, Colonel-General Gennady Shpak, a list of the dead paratroopers was laid down. All the circumstances of this cruel battle were reported in the smallest detail. Shpak made a report to the Minister of Defense, Marshal Igor Sergeyev, but in response received an instruction: to prohibit information about the events near Ulus-Kert until a separate instruction for disclosure.
It just so happened that it was on February 29 that Marshal Sergeev reported to Vladimir Putin about the successful completion of the tasks of the "third stage". Only a few hours passed and - a powerful group of militants hit the positions of the federal troops. What happened near Ulus-Kert did not in any way correlate with the victorious reports about the imminent and final defeat of the militants. And Comrade Marshal must have felt embarrassed for his last report. In order to somehow smooth out the embarrassment, the military was ordered to keep quiet. Only Gennady Troshev on March 5 dared to tell part of the truth: "The sixth paratrooper company, which was at the forefront of the bandits' attack, lost 31 people killed, there are wounded."
On the same days, the country was experiencing another tragedy, which was reported by all the country's TV channels - 20 riot policemen from Sergiev Posad were killed in Chechnya. The military command was afraid to announce the riot police and paratroopers at the same time. The losses were too great ...
The monument to the 6th company in Pskov Ulus-Kert has become one of the symbols of modern Russian history. For how many years they tried to exterminate the Russian military spirit from us, it did not work. How many years the army was portrayed as a bunch of drunks, degenerates and sadists - and the guys paratroopers, dead and alive, silenced critics.
It was a real feat, on which it is impossible to cast a shadow. Although such attempts have taken place. As well as after the release of the hostages by the fighters of "Alpha" and "Vympel" on Dubrovka - an operation in which the FSB special forces could die under the ruins of the Theater complex.
From Ulus-Kert there is a road to Dubrovka. In both cases, Russian soldiers and officers, bearers of our age-old traditions, stood in the way of the mercenaries and terrorists.
Pavel Evdokimov
Special Forces of Russia, 2002 .
Betrayal and feat
In August 1999, mercenaries from the Chechen Republic broke into Dagestan. They decided to forcefully solve the problem of creating an Islamic state in the Caucasus. Units of the airborne assault, special forces soldiers, and the marines arrived to help in the North Caucasian district. A struggle unfolded, which everyone also called the establishment of constitutional order. " On the night of August 18-19, 1999, the combined regiments of the Airborne Forces were transferred by aircraft. A month later, the militants were forced out to the territory of the Chechen Republic. Fighting clashes took place almost every day. At the end of December 1999, the paratroopers made a march 350 kilometers from the village of Shali to the Kharami pass and blocked the city of Vedeno on three sides. The march took place at an altitude of 2400 meters. The paratroopers acted amicably and harmoniously.
The leadership of the fifth column from Moscow demanded from Khattab and Basayev to gather all forces together and again undertake an exit to Dagestan, where to seize three settlements, take hostages and force Prime Minister V.V. their demands for the separation of the Caucasus from Russia. With a favorable decision for the militants, a regime would be introduced on the territory of the country Emergency, which automatically disrupted the holding of the presidential elections in the Russian Federation.
In early February, the paratroopers carry out a planned replacement of personnel. There were especially many clashes with militants in February 2000. Mercenary groups are liquidated very often. The fact is that they were gathering into a powerful fist in the Argun Gorge under the direct leadership of Khattab and Shamil Basayev. Vedeno was defeated by aviation and artillery. According to the recollections of Militia Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Port, on February 18 and 19 there was terrible mud, “artillery pounding in the mountains, machine guns and machine guns crackle.<…>Marines and paratroopers are standing on the mountains, knocking down "Czechs" every day. "
On February 21, a group of the Pskov special forces brigade returned from a hike in the mountains. The warriors were pushing their limits. Stopped to rest but took insufficient precautions. They were followed by militants who were above them. As soon as the commandos began to fall asleep, a flurry of fire fell on them. They began to repel the attack. Literally within a kilometer, there was a group of federal troops, whose commanders did not think of anything smarter than to strike with artillery. 24 commandos were killed. Whole year their relatives had to seek justice and perpetuate the memory of the victims. Three officers were awarded the title Hero of Russia (posthumously). This title was awarded to Captain Mikhail Bochenkov, Captain Alexander Kalinin and Senior Lieutenant Sergei Samoilov. And at that moment there was no wide notification about this fight. Moreover, on February 23, 2000, the Acting Commander of the Joint Grouping of Forces in the North Caucasus, Hero of Russia, Lieutenant General Gennady Troshev, hosted a parade at the airfield in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day and in his speech said that the militants were finished, only individual resistance groups remained, ready surrender. Such statements, against the background of such losses as two days before, by the special forces group, looked blasphemous.
“We learned from radio intercepts that Khattab broke into the gorge and wants to capture Vedeno. The militias confirm the information, - says police lieutenant colonel Vladimir Port. - Strengthened posts, lay down without undressing. Snow piled up to the knee ... We slept the rest of the night, hugging the machine guns. In the morning the situation did not change. Information about the upcoming attack is coming from everywhere. Getting ready. We do not have heavy weapons, only small arms ... They got the grenades themselves from the Marines, replaced them with condensed milk. We will fight back. " It was February 25th. A day later, the marines almost struck with artillery on the eastern slopes, where, according to information from the posts of the Internal Troops, militants were leaving. In fact, these were their checkpoints set up by the scouts of the airborne group.
These days, the central leadership of the fifth column bought out the possibility of unhindered passage of up to three thousand militants from the Argun Gorge to the valley and further to Dagestan. Emir Khattab and Shamil Basayev were in charge of the operation on the spot. The high command of the federal troops knew about the place of their deployment from intelligence data, as well as from the result of radio interceptions, but no measures were taken to stop the passage.
On February 27, the tactical group of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment was blocking the settlements of Khatuni, Kirov-Yurt, Makhety and Selmentauzen. The command post of the regiment was located in the area of height 636.0, which is west of the outskirts of Makheta. Not far from the command post were the positions of the SADN regiment, the anti-aircraft artillery platoon ZRABATR, the 2nd platoon of the 4th airborne company, rear services and part of the communications platoon of the 1st airborne battalion. The battalion itself carried out the task of blocking the Selmentauzen area with the forces of the 1st paratrooper company with machine-gun and mortar platoons from the north-west; The 3rd paratrooper company (without a platoon), which, along the left bank of the Abazulgol River, captured the heights of 666.0 and 574.9. The control and observation post of this battalion was located at the height of 799.6. Here the 4th Airborne Company was concentrated without two platoons. Reconnaissance patrol No. 1, headed by the commander of the reconnaissance company, Captain Perederko, operated with the 1st paratrooper company. Reconnaissance patrol No. 2 under the command of Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov operated with the 3rd Airborne Company. The 2nd paratrooper battalion, without the 5th company, which blocked Selmentauzen from the north, according to the order of the OG of the Airborne Forces, on February 27, concentrated on the command post of the regiment, and by 16 o'clock advanced the 6th paratrooper company and the 3rd platoon of the 4th company on the PPU shelf.
The regiment commander, Colonel S. Yu. Melent'ev, received a combat order: to complete the exit of the 2nd paratrooper battalion to the line of heights 776.0 by 14:00 on February 29; 705.6 mountains Istykort; to a height of 626.0, which is four to five kilometers southeast of the village of Ulus-Kert. The goal is to prevent the bandits from breaking through from the direction of Dagu-Borzoy, Ulus-Kert to Makheti, Kirov-Yurt, Selmentauzen, Elistanzhi, Vedeno. It was planned to gain a foothold with a platoon of the 6th paratrooper company at an altitude of 776.0 and, using it as a strong point, move forward and occupy the remaining heights with new platoon strong points. One of the platoon strongpoints was supposed to occupy the 3rd platoon of the 4th airborne company, commanded by senior lieutenant O.V. Ermakov, but due to the complexity of the task, the deputy commander of the 2nd battalion, Major A.V. Dostavalov.
The commander of the 2nd paratrooper battalion of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel M.N. Yevtyukhin, began advancing to the specified heights together with the 6th company and the 3rd platoon of the 4th company in the early morning of February 28 along the route of marks 822.0; 819.0; Mount Demwiresa through the positions of the 1st Airborne Battalion. At the control and observation post of the 1st battalion (Demviresy), they were joined by a reconnaissance patrol led by Guard Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov. It consisted of Guard Lieutenant D.S.Kozhemyakin - platoon commander, Guard Senior Lieutenant A.M. Kolgatin - sapper, Guard Lieutenant A.N. Ryazantsev - artillery spotter, 9 reconnaissance officers and a signalman of the artillery spotter. The reconnaissance patrol, after setting up the platoon strongpoints, had to go to the PPU to prepare for further actions. We were moving on foot with maximum speed.
Difficult weather conditions, mud on the road, along which it was possible to move only one after another, stretched the company. The 1st platoon, commanded by the guard lieutenant A.N. Sherstyannikov, and the reconnaissance patrol, under the general leadership of the guard lieutenant colonel M.N. Of the 3rd platoon of the 4th company were forced to suspend the movement and stay overnight on Mount Demwires. An unexpected fog obstructed the movement. On the morning of February 29, the units resumed their movement. At the same time, gangs of terrorists were moving towards them from the village of Ulus-Kert, about which the paratroopers were in absolute ignorance. Having passed the height of 776.0, the 3rd platoon of the 4th company by 11 o'clock reached the height of 787.0, where it was entrenched. After approaching mark 776.0, the 6th paratrooper company, consisting of the 2nd and 3rd platoons, commanded by the deputy company commander for educational work guard senior lieutenant A.A. Panov and guard senior lieutenant D.V.
At 12.30, the reconnaissance patrol, which was walking about 150-200 meters in front of the main group of the 6th company, collided with a group of about 40 militants. For those, this was also a surprise, but they immediately began to shout to let them in, as the commanders had agreed. Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov on the radio contacted Lieutenant Colonel M.N. Evtyukhin, he got in touch and reported the situation to the command of the landing force. From there followed an order: offer the militants to surrender, otherwise destroy everyone! This order for radio interception immediately became known to Emir Khattab, who gave his order to interrupt the paratroopers. The militants hit with all kinds of weapons.
The commander of the 6th Airborne Company of the Guard, Major S.G. Molodov, organized the battle in such a way that the militants immediately suffered losses in manpower. But they fired from machine guns and sniper rifles, from grenade launchers and machine guns. The intensity of the fire increased sharply after the approach of more and more militant forces. The battalion commander decided to retreat to height 776.0 and organize a defense there. The scouts under the command of Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov provided an opportunity to retreat and evacuate the wounded.
During the retreat, the company commander, Major S.G. Molodov, was mortally wounded, who was carrying out from under the shelling the wounded guard sergeant of the contract service Ivanov. The command of the company was taken over by the deputy commander of the guard, Captain R.V. Sokolov.
... The battle had been going on for 4 hours. Guard Lieutenant Colonel M.N. Yevtyukhin was in constant contact with the command of the group, asked for help, because he knew that there were paratroopers around. To the place of battle 2-3 kilometers in a straight line, but the order was not received by other units.
Khattab lost his temper, because he did not expect such resistance from the paratroopers. From Moscow, the leadership came to him with strong expressions, because the whole plan, seemingly thought out to the smallest detail, was destroyed. Huge money allocated for the operation was lost. After all, the mercenaries who invaded Dagestan were paid 1 thousand US dollars in allowances and in the future they would receive 5 thousand dollars. It was planned to spend 40 million dollars for the first stage of the war, and 200 million dollars for the second stage. For the annexation of Dagestan to Chechnya, 1 billion US dollars were allocated. Because of some company of paratroopers, everything was disrupted. The main thing is that time was wasted on the creation of a new Muslim state and the collapse of Russia.
The Moscow "war businessmen", out of impotence, did not know what to do. The only thing they could was to prohibit helping the company of paratroopers. They could not imagine that the Russian spirit was still strong among the soldiers who were from 47 republics, territories and regions of Russia and the near abroad, even if they were of different nationalities. They pressed on Khattab with all the power of their influence, demanded to crush the paratroopers, who were 27 times less than the militants. Khattab decided on the latter - he threw his selected elite squad "Dzhimar" into battle, but he still had to get to the place of battle.
At 16 o'clock the battalion commander reported to the regiment commander about the advance of more than 150 militants from the Isytkort mountain, of which about 50 were on horseback. This information was confirmed by the commander of the 3rd paratrooper company of the Guard, Captain Vasiliev, who observed the movement of the enemy from a height of 666.0. At the command of the regiment commander, the artillery conducted 4 fire raids on the militants. The fire was corrected by the guards captain Romanov from the height of 776.0 and the guard lieutenant Zolotov from the height 666.0, and the paratroopers of the platoon strongpoint of the 2nd paratrooper company, who were on the right bank, fired at the militants who broke through the Abazulgol river bed with small arms.
An order was received from the commander of the regiment of the 1st paratrooper company, which completed the task of blocking Selmentauzen, to change the route and move along the right bank of the Abazulgol river to the place of crossing of the 6th company at the edge of 520.0.
By 17 o'clock the militants again pulled up reinforcements and, increasing the intensity of the fire, made an attempt to attack the height from two directions - west and north-west. Heavy fighting continued. The battalion commander personally supervised the subunits, constantly advancing to the most dangerous areas. Together with the artillery spotter Captain Romanov, he regulated the artillery fire, managed to take out several wounded from under the shelling. Evacuated the wounded guard sergeant A. Suponinsky, who later fought, being next to Lieutenant Colonel M. N. Evtyukhin. And Evtyukhin spent the whole day wondering why the aviation did not join the battle, why did the paratroopers and marines who stood nearby did not come to the rescue?
The 2nd platoon of the 3rd company entered the battle at an altitude of 666.0, commanded by the guard captain Vasiliev. The guardsmen repulsed several enemy attacks, destroying 12 militants, attempted to break through to the 6th company, but were forced to retreat under heavy enemy fire. During the breakthrough, the guard's artillery spotter Lieutenant Zolotov was wounded.
From radio intercepts, the paratroopers realized that a mass of militants under the command of Khattab was moving on them. At 22.50 the company came under fire from mortars, but this did not allow the militants to achieve success.
The newly arrived detachment "Dzhimar", numbering over 400 people, headed by field commander Bagaudi Bakuev, with the support of the detachments of Vakha Arsanov and Emir Khattab himself, rushed to the battlefield. The bandits were advancing in waves. It was the twelfth hour of a life-and-death battle. Using the terrain, the militants tried to bypass the company's positions from the left flank. To prevent the encirclement, the battalion commander put forward a reconnaissance patrol of the guard of Lieutenant D.S. Kozhemyakin, who, having occupied an advantageous line, repulsed the violent attacks of the militants for three hours. At the cost of their lives, the guards thwarted the bandits' plot. By order of the regiment commander, an attempt was made to evacuate the wounded into the river bed to the crossing. However, it turned out to be unsuccessful, since there were already militants on the trail, and a battle began with them too.
At the request of the commander of the 104th regiment, the artillery division of the 108th parachute regiment was reassigned to him, which began to fire on the southwestern slopes of height 776.0, where the militants broke through. From 1.00 to 3.00, three salvos were fired from the Grad missiles against suitable enemy reserves from Mount Istyvkort.
Seeing that the breakthrough was not successful, the militants decided to resort to other methods. On the radio, they turned to the paratroopers, offering money for the passage, and then shouted for the guardsmen to surrender. But the paratroopers did not give in to such proposals and decided to stand until reinforcements arrived.
The commander of the Marine Corps group from the Northern Fleet, Major General Alexander Otrakovsky, who was not allowed by the command to rush to the aid of the paratroopers, was terribly nervous. On March 6, his heart stopped because of these experiences.
At night, the paratroopers of the 1st paratrooper company and the reconnaissance platoon under the command of the chief of intelligence of the 104th regiment of the Guards Major S.I.Baran - about 120 people, crossed the Abazulgol River and fled to the place of battle, which filled all the mountains with its roar. On the rise, the Baran was stopped by a radio order to stop moving. The paratroopers almost fought because no one interfered with them. They wanted to help their comrades, with whom many were friends. But the command order is not discussed! Otherwise - a tribunal!
A lull came from 3.00 to 5.00, which was used by the 3rd platoon of the 4th company and came to the aid of the paratroopers of the 6th company. When they fled, the platoon commander of the guard, Lieutenant O. V. Ermakov, was wounded. Realizing that the wound was very serious, he covered his comrades with fire until his last breath. Personally destroyed six bandits. Major Dostalov was also wounded, but remained in the ranks.
At 5.10 on March 1, the militants, not paying attention to the losses, launched an attack on the company's strong point from all directions. In some areas, the bandits managed to break through to the positions of the paratroopers. Hand-to-hand fights ensued. The battalion commander summoned fire from his own batteries "On yourself!" and the shells exploded directly at the top of Hill 776.0, hitting the paratroopers as well. Seeing that the ranks of the defenders had noticeably thinned out, the bandits rushed to the top of the height 776.0, but there the guard senior lieutenant A. M. Kolgatin managed to install two MON-50 mines. Wounded in the chest, he managed to set the mines in action as soon as the militants launched an attack. The powerful explosions killed 11 militants and more than a dozen were wounded. But this only stopped the bandits for a short time. "Dzhimar" tried to prove its victorious march. For almost 40 minutes more, senior lieutenant Panov with ten soldiers held back the attacks of the guards militants in this direction, firing from PKM and machine guns.
Having regrouped, the bandits concentrated their efforts on the south-western direction, which was covered by the guard lieutenant D. S. Kozhemyakin with his group. Kozhemyakin fought hand-to-hand, breaking 11 militants. He supervised his subordinates to the end, until he died from a direct hit of a VOG-25 grenade in the shoulder.
The surviving paratroopers, led by the battalion commander M.N. Evtyukhin, hid behind the ledges of stones at the top of 776.0, where they took the last battle. At 06.10, communication with the battalion commander was interrupted. The commander of the Guards reconnaissance patrol, Senior Lieutenant A.V. Vorobyov, killed the field commander Idris, but he himself was seriously wounded in the arms and legs. The aorta was broken on the leg. And although a tourniquet was applied, blood still oozed out. He ordered his guards subordinates, privates R. Khristolyubov and A. Komarov, to make their way to his own for help. He bled out himself.
The battle was almost over when a helicopter began to patrol the heights and the pilots reported that the militants were collecting the corpses of the paratroopers and were apparently going to take them away. The units of the guardsmen moved forward to the scene of the battle. An eerie picture opened up. Corpses were scattered everywhere. The militants retreated, leaving the mountain of disfigured paratroopers, which they had gathered, with the killed battalion commander Yevtyukhin on top, who was holding a walkie-talkie and the dead were wearing headphones. On the mountain road, a solidifying blood stream flowed up to 10 centimeters deep. A "Black Shark", a super-modern combat helicopter, which was not an obstacle to bad weather, flew over Vedeno, but it was not used during the battle. The aircraft designer, academician L. T. Kulikov later resented with deep bitterness that unmanned reconnaissance vehicles were not used.
On March 2 and 3, aviation and artillery hit the militants' clusters. Many died. They began to surrender, but not to the paratroopers, but to the Internal Troops. According to the story of militia lieutenant colonel Vladimir Port, 57 "Czechs" surrendered to their group near Selmentauzen on 6 March. On March 7, the prisoners were sent with a small escort to the village of Chervlennaya. Having reached the hospital, they were stopped by a group of militiamen, who acted very competently - they let the women forward, while they themselves kept everything at gunpoint from shelters. The militia demanded that the prisoners and wounded be left in Vedeno and filtered there. After lengthy negotiations, the prisoners were left in the hospital under the "protection" of the militia. After a short time, they fled from there. The paratroopers' confidence in the RF Internal Troops has sharply decreased. They were almost accused of assisting the militants.
The Pskov paratroopers won in an unequal battle, but there was an attempt to hide this fact. At first, they did not officially report the death of so many paratroopers. The plane with the cargo "200" was landed not in Pskov, but in the city of Ostrov at a military airfield. After this battle, no military operations were conducted in the Chechen Republic for six months.
The text is fully consistent with the original book. Oleg Dementyev's contact phone number is 8 911 355 09 05.
Open circulation
The death of the 6th Airborne Company remains an unhealing wound for the Pskovites. It is already the fourth year after that tragic and heroic battle, but he still reminds of himself with certain details and events.
There are still many blank spots in the history of the death of the 6th company. And this worries the souls of relatives and the public. And today it is appropriate to say about this.
At the city cemetery of Pskov, the heroes of Russia, the commander of the battalion of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Nikolaevich Evtyukhin, and his deputy guard, Major Alexander Vasilyevich Dostalov, are buried nearby. And they have the same date of death - March 1, 2000.
Alexander was at the checkpoint (height 787.0 not far from the positions of the fighting company) when the 6th company was attacked by bandits. He heard on the radio how his battalion commander, who was with the company and took over command after the death of the company commander, Major Molodov, at the very beginning of the battle, repeatedly asked for help. Contrary to the order of the command, who apparently decided that the 6th company was already impossible to save, he, with a platoon of paratroopers - volunteers of Lieutenant Ermakov, went to the aid of the dying company.
The command does not take decisive measures to save the company, but only demands that the company fight to the end. We still do not know much about that fight today. But that Dostavalov understood that one platoon of volunteers (two out of three squads, he left one squad at a height) to help the company is very small, there is no doubt. And if his breakthrough is not supported, then his platoon will die along with the company, especially since the command did not allow him to break through to the company.
Any heroic death, especially the death of an entire company, as a rule, is the result of either sloppiness, or incompetence, or outright betrayal.
We ask you, dear President, to instruct the state law enforcement agencies to answer the following questions:
1. The exit of the 6th company to the height of 776.0 was delayed by the command for a day - why?
2. The personnel of the company, advancing to the most dangerous section of the possible breakthrough of the main forces of the bandits at that time, in addition to weapons and ammunition, in the most difficult mountainous conditions also dragged tents, ovens, foodstuffs and other property on their hands, that is, they were the maximum shy and tied up in the event of a surprise attack on a company. Why was it impossible to drop this property to the company by helicopter?
3. As it turned out, the company was moving into an ambush prepared in advance for it, into a kind of sack, which the militants slammed right after the start of the battle. This bag was targeted by the militants' pre-installed mortars. How, when and why were the militants able to prepare so well for the meeting and destruction of the company? And only good training and combat experience of the battalion commander of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel M.N. Otherwise, the company would be immediately completely destroyed or captured. How did the information about the movement of the company become known to the militants?
4. Why was the company not supported by long-range artillery, multiple launch rocket systems and hurricane installations, the divisions of which were at the disposal of General Lentsov, and the place of the battle was within their reach? The company tied up the main forces of the bandits (several thousand people) in a 20-hour battle, and the strike of this artillery on the area of concentration of militants identified during the battle would provide significant assistance to the company and could even allow the enemy to be defeated if it was supplemented by a strike from combat helicopters. It was for these main forces of the bandits that the entire 100,000-strong group of troops in Chechnya was hunting. But in fact, artillery support was provided only by low-power regimental artillery at the limit of its firing range, individual shells even fell into the company's location (about 80% of the defeats of the dead soldiers of the 6th company were from artillery fragments and mortars). Who is responsible for this?
5. Why was the battalion commander of the guard, Lieutenant Colonel MN Yevtyukhin, who led the way to the most dangerous direction, was not warned by the command and intelligence about the presence of the main forces of militants on the route determined for him? If no one knew about this, then why?
6. Why did the regiment commander always demanded from the company to hold on and promised help, but in fact the other company sent to help went along the most unsuccessful and difficult route of all possible and lay down near a mountain river, meeting fire resistance from the militants, who had previously taken positions on the other river bank?
7. Why did the command leave the battlefield for the militants for three days, allowing them to collect and bury all their dead, carry out and provide assistance to their wounded, take all weapons and ammunition?
8. On television in the Baltic States immediately after the battle episodes of this battle were shown. According to those who were able to see them, the shooting was done by the militants by Western European operators. Our media reports about this fight began to appear only on the 5th day. And only thanks to the Pskov journalists. This information caught our command by surprise. Why?
These questions, first of all, should be answered by the former commander of the military group in Chechnya, General G. Troshev, Chief of the General Staff, General A. Kvashnin, and the command of the Airborne Forces. I would also like to know from General G. Troshev where he was during the 20-hour battle
6th company, when and who reported to him about this battle and what instructions or orders he gave to assist the company.
Many of these problems are very reasonably reflected in the article by the journalist E. Polyanovsky "Suvorik" ("Izvestia", October 2002)
Poems are now being written about them, books are being written, monuments are being erected to them. But what were they like in ordinary life before stepping into eternity? Today we introduce you dear readers, with Alexander DOSTOVALOV.
Alexander Dostovalov was born in 1963 in Ufa. On July 16, he would have turned 38 years old. He died in Chechnya on March 1, 2000 at an altitude of 776, in Ulus-Kert. Posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
Major Alexander Dostovalov put his life on the altar of male friendship, forever entering the history of the Pskov land.
Alexander was at the checkpoint when the company started a fight with the militants. He heard the battalion commander Mark Evtyukhin vainly asking for help, but no one was in a hurry to break through to the guards. And then, with fourteen fighters, contrary to the ban, the major rushed to the rescue of his friends. During the breakthrough, the platoon came under fire, the platoon commander Oleg Ermakov was seriously wounded, but remained to cover the platoon in order to enable the paratroopers to break through to their own.
And here is Dostovalov at the height of 776, friends are fighting here, here is the battalion commander Mark Evtyukhin. On the spot, Alexander assessed the situation. He took part in battles more than once, so he realized that it would be difficult to get out of this alteration. Did Alexander Dostovalov know that this was his last fight? I think that he did not indulge himself with illusions.
The brave guardsman considered his regiment his fighting family, sharing both joy and grief with his comrades in arms, so he decided to share death with them. There were witnesses of this battle, they were with Alexander during the last battle. There are two of them out of the six surviving soldiers.
Private Evgeny Vladykin:
What a joy it was with the appearance of Major Dostovalov! Reinforcements arrived, our guys broke through. We are not alone! The major raised his hand, clenched into a fist, then went up to the battalion commander, they hugged like brothers. For the first time, the battalion commander smiled.
Seven deaths will never happen! - Dostovalov joked. - Let's fight!
That's right, we will, - the guys who heard him echoed.
First, the arriving soldiers carried the wounded from the field, and then each took a position that our former company commander had assigned them.
Sergeant Alexey Suponinsky:
Major Dostovalov came to the company from the rear so that we would not shoot at him, shouted in a low voice: "Ours." His conversation with the battalion commander was short-lived. He assigned his fighters to positions and took the weapon himself. It became easier for all of us, Dostovalov came, others will come. (We did not know then that there would be no help). None of us wanted to die. I remember when they went to the height, the guys joked, laughed and did not know that death was near. Dostovalov lay down three meters from the battalion commander, I was eight from him. And then a protracted battle began.
How many of ours lay around! The "spirits" shouted: "Russians, surrender, you are finished." They were sent far away. The shooting did not stop for a minute. The worst thing was when the battalion commander fell on his back. Fell down and never got up.
This is the end, I thought. And he began to pray, asking God for life.
"Spirits" all climbed and climbed, standing up to their full height. Dostovalov fired on the spot. Sometimes he turned to me, as if encouraging. And then he fell silent, burying his face in the ground. It seemed to me that I was left alone ... I seemed to be deaf.
Major Andrei Vyatkin (Alexander and Andrei were friends from the first days of Dostovalov's arrival at the location of the 76th division after the Ryazan Airborne School. Andrei Vyatkin was watching the formation of a young lieutenant, who began his service as a platoon commander):
I still don't get used to not having a friend. I see him alive in a dream, I talk to him. He meant a lot to us paratroopers. He knew how to unite people, he could relieve tension with a joke.
There were a lot of people at Dostovalov's funeral, mostly his friends, from all over Russia. He was a real man, without self-interest and cunning. He moved up the career ladder slowly, because he did not like behind-the-scenes intrigue, he was straightforward and spoke the truth in the face of anyone.
My friend and I visited all the hot spots Soviet Union... Yerevan started in 1988. There Alexander distinguished himself, risked his life, saved the chief of staff of the regiment from an angry crowd. For this he, the only one in the regiment, received the medal "For excellent service in the protection of public order." After returning two months later - a business trip to Baku, where Alexander Dostovalov ended up in a reconnaissance company. And then there were Osh, Uzgen, Transnistria. For excellent service he was appointed deputy company commander. With this company he was sent to Chechnya ...
With insignificant losses, his company passed Argun, Gudermes, entered Grozny. In difficult situations, Dostovalov has repeatedly shown a personal example of valor. For this he received the Order of Courage. We passed all the tests, returned alive to the hooting of some of the media representatives.
After the war, my friend received the rank of major, and over time was appointed commander of the battalion, the one where the battalion commander Mark Yevtyukhin was. They did not have personal friendship, but the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual assistance reigned. Both complemented each other: Mark, who loved brightness and brilliance, and Alexander, who meticulously delves into every little detail, preferring not to go into the eyes of his high bosses.
Their battalion won prizes for two years in a row, was the best in the division. Evtyukhin and Dostovalov trained their paratroopers to perform combat missions, especially since Alexander had practical combat skills. The major loved special missions, field trips. It was a real man's business, to which he devoted himself entirely. How many times Dostovalov was the first to appear on the BMD in the right place, swiftly bypassing others. How much excitement there was! Alexander was rarely at home, did not take days off or vacations. The last time we got together was in Chechnya, on my birthday. He came to me on foot (we were standing in different places) and fell, without undressing, right on the bed. - I hear.
And what do you think is going on there?
The porridge was brewed for a long time.
I think Alexander made his own conclusion. He could not sit still when his friends died. I was one of the first to come to this accursed height to collect the dead. At first I found Sanya, there was a hope that he was alive. But, judging by the wound, he was shot at point-blank range. He stood up to the end, did not step back a step. I stroked his hair, a chill ran down his hand, closed my eyes and passed it on to the soldiers. After Alexander went to Mark. The bandits broke the entire back of his head. I bandaged his head. The battalion commander carried himself along with the soldiers.
With the death of a friend, something in me broke off, died. Lost the taste for life. They say I need to undergo a rehabilitation course. And this is not rehabilitation, here the truth is needed. Why did the whole company die when there were so many troops and equipment around? It's hard to remember how much terrible and strange I saw. Long ago we would have defeated the militants if there were no forces interested in this war.
Olga Dostovalova is laconic. She still has a hard time sharing her memories:
The husband did not think about me and his daughter when he went to his death. He always had friends first and service. Only Sasha could end his life this way. At midnight they call him, they always call him somewhere, ask for something. How it hurt me. "What do you need most of all!" He will not refuse anything to anyone. And there, at the height, he did not refuse either.
We have rarely seen each other lately. But I felt warm from the thought that he was there and could always return home. And now time seems to have stood still, and I live in the past. My daughter misses him. They loved each other so much. They fiddle on the floor, on the carpet, then he rolls it on himself, then they play a ball, then they tell fairy tales. And they will laugh so loudly, like children. Alexander was very spontaneous, so everyone was so eager to communicate with him: children, neighbors, friends. And I was jealous: he never belonged to me alone.
Mother
(I met Lyubov Petrovna Dostovalova in church, during the anniversary of the death of the sixth company):
Sasha is my only son. My husband and I separated when he was 12 years old. Since then, I raised him alone, although he also visited his father. His father is an officer, and his son was proud of it. But I did not allow him to enter the military school... After the ninth grade, he went to the railway and trained as a locomotive driver. I worked a little, then the army. And after the army, he still insisted on his own - he entered the Ryazan Higher Military School. I cried for a long time, for some reason it was hard that my son would be an officer. Apparently, my heart felt trouble. And, indeed, I would drive trains now, I would be alive and well. But this is not for him. Since childhood, Sasha loved adventure, military books, ruled among the boys. But he was not a hooligan, a mischievous person. He studied well, he helped me in everything. I worked at a factory, he will clean the house, cook for me to eat. And everything in his hands "burns". I, - he says, - Mom, I won't leave you alone. You will always live with me. But he left one. But I do not reproach him for anything. This is how I raised him - to live for others, to live for the Motherland.
Collecting this material, I did not use all the memories. There are so many of them! .. Alexander Dostovalov is loved by the entire 104th regiment. They say there is no death. Man lives in eternity. Our earthly life is only a step to the next. And the next one depends on what mark you leave behind. Alexander left behind the brightest memory.
Love RINGENE .
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